-Mardi: And a Voyage Thither

Most well known today for his epic Moby-Dick, or The Whale, Herman Melville was a prolific author whose work spanned genres. After working as a sailor and serving in the U.S. Navy, Melville wrote travel narratives, some of which fictionalized his experiences in the Polynesian region of the South Seas. Mardi was a departure from his travelogues, as it was an allegorical romance that explored more serious philosophical subjects. The titular Mardi Archipelago consists of numerous islands that each satirize some aspect of society. Among the islands visited by Taji, the novel’s main character, is Dominora, home to a militaristic people intent on using their ships to maintain supremacy and is meant to represent Great Britain. Melville imagined other islands, like Hooloomooloo and Ohonoo, inhabited by society's outcasts including those who are crippled and exiled criminals. This satirical island-hopping follows in the tradition of Rabelais and Swift.